tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18508816603320492642020-05-11T03:24:54.387-07:00Unionize IdahoWe are a grassroots organization that is focused on Getting Home Care Workers in Idaho Organized to join SEIU 775. Not Support or Endorsed by SEIU 775David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850881660332049264.post-82737467782210975432019-12-28T22:33:00.003-08:002019-12-28T22:33:47.392-08:00Why Home Care Should Be Regulated.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1N7PkPXtaqU/Xf9Kd85-KJI/AAAAAAAAefg/njyOyxTxy6k4nbd7v5dvV790xMSmIQlDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/seniors-1505935_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1280" height="186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1N7PkPXtaqU/Xf9Kd85-KJI/AAAAAAAAefg/njyOyxTxy6k4nbd7v5dvV790xMSmIQlDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/seniors-1505935_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="graf graf--p" name="ef6c">Image by <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1505935" href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1505935" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1505935" href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1505935" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pixabay</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table>The home care industry is at a crossroads. It's either going to get better and agencies are going to start doing what they need to do, or it will keep getting worse.<br /><br />Currently in the state of Idaho a Home Care Aide, doesn't require any kind of training or licensing. In fact when you are hired by a home care agency. They give you a packet of paperwork, an answer key, and have you fill everything out. Then they try to get you out in the field as soon as possible. The only training that is provided is when there is a special skill required.<br /><br />In May of 2019, Mr. Benjamin Reed, 38, died as a result of injuries from scalding hot water. The agency, Boise-based A Caring Hand, was the one that provided the Home Care Aide. However, the Aide wasn't given any training. Training that would have prevented what happened to Mr. Reed.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />Currently Home Care Aides are ranked 26th and 20th lowest paid, and make an average of between $9 to $11 an hour in the state of Idaho. In Washington State a Home Care Aide with the designation of Individual Provider can make and average of $15.30 an hour, which is 28% above the national average. They also get paid time off, and affordable health care coverage.<br /><br />Also in Washington State, you must be certified and have a minimum of seventy hours training, as well as twelve hours of continuing education to keep the certification. There are no requirements in the state of Idaho.<br /><br />The majority of home care agencies do not offer affordable health care coverage, paid time off, or a living wage. They will work a provider to the point of burn out, and then just move on to the next. The agencies don't care want happens to the provider. So long as the agencies is making their profit. It's a situation that is only going to get worse if there isn't more regulation of the industry.<br /><br />There is nothing keeping an agency from working a provider seven days a week. There is nothing preventing the agency from hiring people, employing them for a few months and then letting them go for little or no cause.<br /><br />Agencies in Idaho pay as little as possible, provide no benefits, and send people out hoping that they won't kill anyone. They encourage people to work injured and sick by not providing paid time off or affordable health care. They encourage people to work as much as possible for as little as possible. They don't want anyone working overtime, but they want you to work right up to that line.<br /><br />The fact that home care agencies aren't more regulated, and aren't required to give even basic benefits. Shows just how little the state cares about what happens to the elderly and the disabled. If they cared there would be more regulation and what happened to Mr. Reed could have been prevented.<br /><br />The safety of both the care provider and the client is compromised because of the lack of oversight by the state. Because agencies aren't required to give even basic benefits. The safety of the client is compromised because the person providing care is doing so in the majority of cases in an almost exhausted state. The provider can't take time off to rest, they can't miss any time when they're sick because then they will lose pay. Also because they don't have affordable health care. They are less likely to get flu shots, and other medical needs taken care off.<br /><br />In the case of Home Care, paid time off, and affordable healthcare are more than nice benefits. They are essential to the safety of both the care provider and the client. This is why Home Care should be more regulated and have a lot more oversight. The lack of training is also another issue that has to be addressed. Because, agencies are only looking for bodies to fill shifts and not looking for people that care about the work. The safety of the client is further compromised by the lack of oversight by the state.<br /><br />It's time that the state begin to look out for the safety of not only the clients, but also of the people that provide care. Home Care needs more regulation, and Home Care Workers need to unionize. Otherwise it will just continue to be more of the same.<br /><br /><br />David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850881660332049264.post-14525316664195896482019-12-07T03:24:00.000-08:002019-12-07T03:24:15.624-08:00Unions Need To Join Forces To Terminate Right To Work Laws.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxCuGsBeO6c/XeuLWBQ9NRI/AAAAAAAAecI/l0wN0AZef28I9JmdSwCTXSROeBZZMA0agCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/rtwforless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxCuGsBeO6c/XeuLWBQ9NRI/AAAAAAAAecI/l0wN0AZef28I9JmdSwCTXSROeBZZMA0agCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/rtwforless.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Right To Work (RTW) laws are bad for workers because it isn’t about having the right to work. It’s about cutting the legs out from under unions and workers' rights. The 28 states that have right-to-work laws on the books is because the GOP and major corporations like Walmart and McDonald's teamed up to make it happen.<br /><br />Billionaires that wanted to keep workers' rights to a bare minimum are why those 28 states have this horrible law on the books. Idaho isn’t any different. The GOP put it on the ballet in the mid-1980s and then pushed for it hard. They did so because they were looking out for big business and not the average worker.<br /><br />Advocates for these kinds of laws don’t care about&nbsp;the front-line workers. They care about their profit margins and they care about being able to get rid of anyone that might be a danger to their profits. So anyone that might speak up about the poor pay and the lack of benefits could be fired without cause.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />The unions that are in Idaho need to join up. They need to do their version of the superhero team up. They need to work together to overturn Idaho’s right-to-work laws. Voters in&nbsp;Missouri blocked a right-to-work law that the GOP controlled legislature tried to force on them. I think Idaho can do the same by overturning the current right-to-work laws through a vote by the people. Only this time, all of the unions in the state are going to have to team up and pool their resources to make it happen.<br /><br />According to a 2011 paper by&nbsp;Elise Gould and Heidi Shierholz it’s estimated that “wages in RTW states are 3.2 percent lower on average than wages in non-RTW states, even after controlling for a full set of worker characteristics and state labor market conditions. Gould and Shierholz (2011) also find that workers in RTW states are less likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance and pension coverage.”<br /><br />You don’t have to look any further than Home Care Agencies in the state of Idaho to see how true that is for workers. In June 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article231180953.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an article</a>&nbsp;in the Idaho Statesman showed the stark truth of what it’s like to work for one of these agencies. Although there are some that really care about their providers and the clients they care for. The <span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done pwa-mark-ignored" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-dictionary-word="reality," data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Possible unnecessary comma. Do you need this comma?" data-pwa-id="pwa-0AE8F81BA75F12425FEA6218C7164C4B" data-pwa-rule-id="COMMA_CHECK" data-pwa-suggestions="reality">reality,</span> is that most of these agencies are just in it for the profit.<br /><br />One example from the article is a provider that stated that her employer gave her no training and hadn’t even <span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done pwa-mark-ignored" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word="been given" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Passive verbs make your writing less direct. Try to use an active verb instead." data-pwa-id="pwa-E82755465420CB3D24F03AA87B8ED9A5" data-pwa-rule-id="PASSIVE_VOICE" data-pwa-suggestions="">been given</span> CPR training. There isn’t any protection for the clients or for the providers that give the care.<br /><br />By getting rid of the RTW laws that are currently on the books. It would enable workers to more easily unionize and then require employers more comprehensive training. I know my experience with Idaho Home Care Agencies has been pretty much, watch this video, fill out this booklet, and here’s the answer key. It’s one of the reasons I went out and got my CNA.<br /><br />Again, all of the unions in Idaho have to team up and make this happen. Otherwise, even if Home Care Workers do unionize. It will be from a disadvantage that the agencies can use to keep from doing the right thing. Which is a living wage, affordable health care coverage, and paid time <span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done pwa-mark-ignored" data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-dictionary-word="off." data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Wrong Punctuation. Should you use a question mark?" data-pwa-id="pwa-0000234D156C58D65E23CFC7C837BE67" data-pwa-rule-id="WRONG_PUNCT" data-pwa-suggestions="off?">off.</span> It’s time for the unions in the state of Idaho to unite and get the right-to-work laws off the books.David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850881660332049264.post-76918710889775801812019-01-20T10:49:00.000-08:002019-01-20T10:49:16.064-08:00Idaho's Right To Work Law Hurts It's Workers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJCJPvf3fxI/XETB5pxV9RI/AAAAAAAAV0E/N0TsPSThZ2sXVH48Lha9SUi9rgHVvrITwCLcBGAs/s1600/400px-Right_to_Work_states.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJCJPvf3fxI/XETB5pxV9RI/AAAAAAAAV0E/N0TsPSThZ2sXVH48Lha9SUi9rgHVvrITwCLcBGAs/s1600/400px-Right_to_Work_states.png" /></a>I'm going to be talking about how Right To Work laws hurt workers in Idaho. However, I'm going to be mostly focusing on how Right To Work laws affect Home Care Aides (HCAs).<br /><br />In 1987 Idaho's Right To Work law went into effect. In the years since, the amount of damage it has caused Idaho workers has been castistropic. Right To Work laws have one goal and one goal only. Which is to impact and damage unions, and give big business more power over their workers. Which currently means that employers in the state of idaho are not required to give meal or other kinds of&nbsp; breaks. Idaho aligns with the federal minimum wage of $7.25, and frankly the state of idaho is fairly weak on protections for workers.<br /><br />According to the <a href="https://files.stlouisfed.org/files/htdocs/publications/review/02/05/29-42DinlersoHernandez2.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2002 Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis report</a>&nbsp;(PDF) written by&nbsp;Emin M. Dinlersoz and Rubén Hernández-Murillo,&nbsp;"....the most obvious reason is that the passage of the law makes unions less attractive to workers because unions no longer have the ability to enforce payments and fines. These effects depress new union organizing and also deter the replacement of decertified unions. If a state’s labor force is growing, then less union organizing means also a reduction in the union membership rate."<br /><br />It's the the strategy of the conservative right to weaken unions with Right To Work laws, and the best way for them to do that is to undermine the financial stability of the unions that are working to protect workers. The best way to do that is to deny the unions the means to campaign and to pay the union officials that are working for the union members.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h3hyroQrN-4/XEShYEkoA3I/AAAAAAAAVz4/IphBBvxBFDsqBU9aoAVKYQCChaRe0iAdwCLcBGAs/s1600/righttowork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h3hyroQrN-4/XEShYEkoA3I/AAAAAAAAVz4/IphBBvxBFDsqBU9aoAVKYQCChaRe0iAdwCLcBGAs/s320/righttowork.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image via http://www.bacweb.org <a href="http://www.bacweb.org/journal/2015_01/legislative.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">article from 2015</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Between 1987 and 2000 there was a 2.8% drop overall in unionization state wide. I've written about the overall effect of Right To Work laws on workers. My Medium article, "<a href="https://medium.com/@DShorb/right-to-work-is-really-red-states-just-union-busting-eeec4558fb8a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Right To Work Is Really Red States Just Union Busting</a>" I talk about why Right To Work laws are so harmful I stated that, "The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 31,000 Idahoans made $7.25 an hour or less in 2012. That’s a 63 percent increase from 2011. This still doesn’t change the fact that, because of greed of the home care agencies, and because of “Right To Work” laws that allow them to underpay HCAs. Home Care Aides are still paid 21% below the national average, and HCAs make up over 50% of the home care workforce in the state of Idaho."<br /><br />The fact that Home Care Aides are paid so little when they provide such a vital service. The Idaho Right To Work law prevents them from unionizing because they would be unable to raise the money needed to maintain the union because not only because of the Right To Work law, but also because of the recent Janus ruling. That SCOTUS ruling, dealt a pretty hard blow to union fundraising. I think that fair share fees should be legal because for a union shop, the Union is working for everyone. I don't think everyone should be made to join the union. However, I think if you work in a union shop you should be paying your fair share to support the work the union is doing to help raise wages, and provide for a safer working environment. I think there could be a way to isolate fair share money from union dues. So that fair share money doesn't get used for political campaigns.<br /><br />The reason why employment went up when the Right To Work is because employers could now pay less than a living wage, they don't have to offer medical insurance, they don't have to offer paid time off, or paid holidays, or even paid sick time. Big businesses can now maximize their profit that the expense of their workers. Although the ACA has helped, most Home Care Agencies that offer healthcare coverage, tend not to cover any of that expense which means that workers will have to come up with more than $400 a month for their coverage.&nbsp;<br /><br />Because of Right To Work laws, Home Care Agencies aren't offering paid time off, or even paid sick time. Which means that HCAs are having to work when they are sick. So you have work or you lose money that you need to pay your bills. So if you have the flu, or get TB, or come down with a cold, you have to work through it, even though the right thing would be to stay up until you're not sick.<br /><br />Not having paid time off, increases the likelihood of burnout among HCAs. Which is higher than other care professions. Because a large majority of Home Care Agencies don't offer paid time off, there is a massive amount of burnout for Home Care Aides. Many of them can go years without any significant time off. Right To Work laws have allowed this to happen in Idaho. It's harmful to HCAs because without that time off, they never get a chance to decompress and refuel their emotional tanks.<br /><br />Right To Work has harmed not only Home Care Aides, but it has harmed workers in Idaho as a whole. It creates an environment that allows employers to abuse their workers. To force them to work more that the average forty hours a week just to make ends meet. No one should have to work to the point of exhaustion because their employer wants to maximize their profits. Right To Work laws allow employers to do just that.&nbsp;David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.com0Idaho, USA44.0682019 -114.7420407999999832.6696769 -135.39633779999997 55.4667269 -94.087743799999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850881660332049264.post-90101742900902921702018-04-01T11:50:00.001-07:002018-04-01T11:50:54.901-07:00Looking For VolunteersHey all!<br /><br />We are looking for Volunteers to write posts, be part of street teams, do social media promotion and to just generally help get the word out. We need to build a team that will be passionate about getting the ball rolling to unionize Idaho Home Care Aides.<br /><br />If you think you would like to be part of this project please email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:volunteer@unionizeidaho.org" target="_blank">volunteer@unionizeidaho.org</a>, like the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unionizeidaho" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a>, and follow us on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/unionizeidaho" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSfr--HXpvk/WsEp39beEJI/AAAAAAAARvk/pG-HzkiQVD0V6pkHL0ZcpI1jKGjWEjBzACLcBGAs/s1600/volunteer-500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="161" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSfr--HXpvk/WsEp39beEJI/AAAAAAAARvk/pG-HzkiQVD0V6pkHL0ZcpI1jKGjWEjBzACLcBGAs/s400/volunteer-500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.com0Idaho, USA44.0682019 -114.7420407999999832.6696769 -135.39633779999997 55.4667269 -94.087743799999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850881660332049264.post-29432644124218183602017-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:002017-12-05T06:00:35.975-08:00Why Training is Important<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpKNCheyXe0/WiM7aAahbAI/AAAAAAAAQPM/0D0liCeowaw0XiX8x1eABph7GD5XhDX3wCLcBGAs/s1600/Employee-Training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="425" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpKNCheyXe0/WiM7aAahbAI/AAAAAAAAQPM/0D0liCeowaw0XiX8x1eABph7GD5XhDX3wCLcBGAs/s320/Employee-Training.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When I took my first In Home Care job in 2002, I got one day of training. My first client was a quadriplegic who needed to have just about everything done for him. I had to get him out of bed using a hoyer lift,&nbsp;I had to feed him, when it was meal time, and I had to make sure he was taking his meds at the right time. When I started to take care of him overnight. I would have to turn him about every two hours. the one day of training was so i could learn how to get him into the hoyer lift sling.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Today in the State of Washington I'd have to get over 70 hours of training, and after my first year take 12 hours of continuing education courses to stay certified in the State of Washington. In the State of Idaho, there are no requirements, outside of getting your CPR certification. Which is good, but it isn't the quality of training and education that you would get in Washington State and the Training Partnership they have with SEIU 775. In the Washington State training you learn everything you would need to know to give quality and safe care to your clients. It's this training that makes Washington Home Care Aides so good at their jobs. Learning how to roll a person on their side when you need to clean them up or when you need to get them dressed is important because if you do it wrong then you run the risk of injuring your client or yourself. If you don't know how to give a bed path you could miss an important spot, or you could even hurt your client by doing something incorrectly.<br /><br />Training is important because without out it you could miss important signs that your client's condition may have changed. For example, if your client is starting to forget things more often, or if they think it's a different year that it actually is, or if they are suddenly not putting weight on one of their legs because of a fall. These things are the signs we have to look out for, because it's in the interest of your client to be aware of their well being. You have to know when your client is getting pressure sores, or when they are having a hard time keeping down solid food. The only way you'll know what to look for is if you've had the training to look for the signs.<br /><br />The current State of Idaho requirements for training is as follows.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>... All PCAs must be successfully trained in specific competencies set forth in the “Idaho Skills Matrix.” The matrix lists required competencies and the person or entity responsible for verification. PCAs must pass a written examination and demonstrate competency in each listed task. Each employer determines the methods used to train and assess PCA competencies. ...</i></blockquote>In my experience that means that the Agency will give you the test, give you the book and tell you it's an open book test. I have yet to see any Agency require you to show that you learned anything or that you are competent in any skills. They fulfill the requirement, however they don't do it very well and they try to do it without spending any money on the training. At one Home Care Agency they have DVDs that could have been made in the 90's and they only wanted you to watch the most basic parts that they felt you might need. At another agency they get you to fill out all the paperwork and then ask you if you need training on anything, if you say no, then they just send you on your merry way. However that's only after they make sure you know how to wash your hands properly.<br /><br />Training is not the priority of the Home Care Agencies or even the State of Idaho. Making a profit is the agency's primary concern, getting providers and the lowest cost is the State's primary concern. They don't care about our safety, which is why the only have cheap gloves that you have to double up on when you're using them. They don't care if we get injured because they view us as disposable and they feel they can replace us anytime they need or want to do so. We need to make it clear to them that we deserve more and that we have value and worth, and that sweeping us aside when it's convenient for them is bad business.<br /><br />One of the priorities of #UnionizeIdaho is to force the agencies and the State of Idaho to provider better training to reduce injuries and to create a safer work environment for Home Care Aides. The only way we are going to be able to do that is by joining together in one voice and proclaiming that we deserve more than to be viewed as a disposable work force.David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850881660332049264.post-12105879843019739522017-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:002017-12-04T06:00:15.464-08:00Why Paid Time Off and Affordable Health Insurance is so important. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Sw-SG11cRk/WiMppecm89I/AAAAAAAAQO0/PRUz6wgUtJANr66t3jYblt9lGu2-aausgCLcBGAs/s1600/unionizememe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Sw-SG11cRk/WiMppecm89I/AAAAAAAAQO0/PRUz6wgUtJANr66t3jYblt9lGu2-aausgCLcBGAs/s320/unionizememe.png" width="320" /></a></div>At anytime there is an in home care provider taking care of an elderly or disabled individual who is susceptible to getting sick. As Care Providers it's our responsibility to stay home when we are sick. However currently in Idaho in home care providers don't get paid sick leave. So if we don't work we don't get paid. Which then forces us to have to decided if we are going to work and put our clients health at risk, or if we are going to stay home and lose money that could pay for food or other bills.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />For example I have to take my wife up to Spokane, Washington for a medical appointment. However it's during a time when I would normally be working. I have to take the day off, because the Agency I currently work for doesn't offer paid time off, so as a result I'll be losing close to $90 for taking that day so my wife can go to a medical appointment. This isn't how it should work. We should have Paid time off, and when we are sick we should have a separate bucket we can pull from for paid sick leave. Right now If I were to get really sick, I would have to just keep working and hope that I didn't get my morning or afternoon clients sick as a result.<br /><br />Paid sick leave is important because without it we take the risk of getting our clients sick and in some cases it means taking a risk with our clients lives. Because we are forced to work even when we are sick or injured. For example if I break my arm, which would take between 4 to 6 weeks to heal, I would have to work that whole time because If I didn't I wouldn't be able to pay my rent, or my other bills. Let alone be able to pay for the medical care that I would need because of a broken arm. Why because my agency also doesn't offer any kind of health insurance.<br /><br />Being able to have the option for self care and being able to take time off to tend to family members is very important. It allows us to have to the time when we are feeling overwhelmed or when we are just too burnt out to give the quality care we need to give to our clients, to be able to take that time off and recharge and get refocused. We can't work 52 weeks a year and not have a few weeks to be able to get away and decompress. Right now in Idaho there is no requirements for the following as of September 2013<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><b>Vacation, holiday, severance or sick pay, A discharge notice or a reason for discharge, Rest periods, breaks, lunch breaks, holidays off or vacations, Premium pay rates for weekends or holidays worked, Pay raises or fringe benefits, A limit on the number of hours an employee can work, per day or week for employees 16 years of age or older.</b></i></blockquote>Most Agencies take advantage of the fact the don't have to provide any of that to their providers, because they feel the In Home Care Providers are disposable and replaceable. So if you get sick, they can just replace you with someone else off the street. So we need the protection of a CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) which is what the Union Negotiates for us. Paid Sick leave and Paid time off are just two of the items Unionize Idaho is looking to get for the 20,000 or so Providers currently working in the state of Idaho.<br /><br />In order to get the basic benefits that anyone should get when employed by a business Home Care Aides (HCAs), In Home Care Providers, Personal Care Aides (PCAs), will need to join together in one voice and say that we deserve more than to be treated like disposable workers. We deserve a living wage, we deserve affordable health care, we deserve paid sick leave, and we deserve paid time off as well as a Retirement plan.<br /><br />Tell us what you think, please follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/unionizeidaho" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and Like our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UnionizeIdaho-148115912579885/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> and Join our Facebook Group. You can also leave a comment below.David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.com35Idaho, USA44.0682019 -114.7420407999999832.6696769 -135.39633779999997 55.4667269 -94.087743799999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850881660332049264.post-28168622817266299042017-11-26T08:08:00.000-08:002017-11-26T08:08:39.366-08:00Why Unionize?<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Npgjn_l2p1c/WhoAHDMrFaI/AAAAAAAAQG4/5YQ0qJ7AMlgDb9iVAem2_YXMGk5ZmqQ2gCLcBGAs/s1600/Twitter%2BLogo%2BFor%2BUnionize%2BIdaho.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Npgjn_l2p1c/WhoAHDMrFaI/AAAAAAAAQG4/5YQ0qJ7AMlgDb9iVAem2_YXMGk5ZmqQ2gCLcBGAs/s200/Twitter%2BLogo%2BFor%2BUnionize%2BIdaho.png" width="200" /></a></div>Hey it's our first post! How awesome is that?! So I thought I would kick things off with a question. Why Join A Union? Well it's a fairly simple answer really. One that over that last hundred plus year of organized labor has been able to answer again and again with both action and examples backing up those actions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me just start off by telling a bit of history, and telling you a bit about why and where #UnionizeIdaho came from, and why we exist.<br /><br />Before we dive into why we should unionize, I would like to take a few moments to tell you who I am and why I am so passionate about this cause.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />My name is David Shorb, I just turned 40 year old in July, and I'm married to my wonderful wife Kristi just over a year. I've been an In Home Care provider on and off since 2002. My very first client was a World War II vet who was a paraplegic. I got one day of training to learn how to transfer him from his bed to his powered wheelchair. I work for that client for a year and I did it 12 hours a day 7 days a week. There was no time off, there was no sick leave, there was no living wage, because I got paid by the day instead of by the hour. I quit after I just couldn't take it anymore. I was burnt out, and exhausted. Because he was what was considered a care intensive client.<br /><br />You would have to make all his meals, cut them up and then feed it to him. You and to help him with his bowel program, and of course empty his catheter bag several times a day. We also had to help him with his medication and for myself as I did his overnight shift. Turn him every two hours or so, that way he wouldn't get bed sores.<br /><br />For the last 5 years I'd been taking care of my mother full time as she had been in poor health. However it wasn't any of her health issues that caused her to pass away in March of of this year (2017). It was an aneurysm that burst. I was her designated person for her Living Will, and DNR. So I had to make choices that were in her best interest. So being a care provider can mean more than just washing the dishes or vacuuming the living room. Sometimes it means making choices that are literally the difference between life and death.<br /><br />Now why should Idaho In Home Care Providers unionize? Because this is a field that is highly skilled, and it's going to be in higher demand as the aging generation of baby boomers need more and more help around their homes. We also take care of those who are disabled either by accident, or by birth. We fill that void between when family can be there for their loved one, and when they aren't able to because of work, or school, or just so they can have a moment to breath.<br /><br />We put our bodies on the line everytime we go into a clients house because we don't know what kind of day we are going to have with that client. Most of the time it can be pretty routine. However there are also those times when you have to clean your client up because of an issue with incontinence, or you have to take your client to a doctor's appointment or you walk in and your client is already in distress so you have to act immediately.<br /><br />Most, but not all, In Home Care Providers are CPR certified, and in some cases they are even certified for medication assistance. It's my opinion that all Providers should have CPR and medication assistance certification. We help people move from bed to their chairs or their chairs to their walkers, or even help them get around their house so they can do what they can so they can feel more independent.<br /><br />However Idaho doesn't think that In Home Care Providers should get a living wage. The rough average weekly wage for a In Home Care Provider in Idaho is about $440.20. The average cost of the average family per week is $329.76 and that is before you add in the weekly transportation which is $75.13 for gas and insurance. Which if you're an In home care provider you have to have a car to run errand for your client like shopping and going to medical appointments. Also in that $329.76 that doesn't cover food cost which for a family of 4 can be around $126.96 per week. So just covering basics per week will cost about $531.85 and that still doesn't include things for entertainment like going to the movies or going on family vacations. Based on the average costs someone who is an in home care provider is running a deficit of -$91.65 every week. Also those number are only the average and they still don't include costs like mobile phone service which an in home care provider will have to have because as of the EVV mandate part of the&nbsp;21st Century Cures Act that was passed back in 2016.<br /><br />The Average cell phone bill can run anywhere between $70 to $200 a month depending on family size and the type of service they have, and as most people can't afford to pay for a phone outright most people are making installment payments on their phone bills which also contributes to the overall cost.<br /><br />If an In Home Care Provider is making $15 per hour they would be bringing home a gross annual wage of $28,800 that comes out to before taxes and other deductions a monthly wage of $2400. So you can see why it's so important to make sure that in home care providers have a living wage. It's why we need to unionize and why we need to stand up and say that what we do has value and we deserve to get paid more than what the average worker gets paid right now which is about $10.00 for most agencies, however there are some that pay a lot less. There are a lot of agencies that don't offer any benefits. So a home care worker is left debating if it's worth losing a day of wages because they might be sick, or if they can afford to take off the time to take care of a family member. Or If they can afford to take the time off for attending a family event, or even take a vacation. Most workers are stuck working 52 weeks a year never taking any time off, and if something catastrophic does happen they they are stuck with thousands of dollars in hospital bills that they more than likely won't be able to pay off because they now don't have a job. Because the home care agencies treat most of their providers as if they are disposable.<br /><br />Why Unionize? Because it's the path that will get home care workers what they need to make it month to month. To get the job security they need, and to get the health care coverage that will keep them out of debt. When we unionize we will get paid sick leave which will help protect our clients, and we will get paid time off so we can spend that time with family or even just taking a mental health day. Right now most Providers aren't able to do that kind of self care because agencies are more concerned with their profit margins then they are about the well being of the providers they employ. When we unionize we give ourselves a voice to say that we want to be heard and we want to be shown the respect we have earned being in home care provider.</div>David Shorbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314235037248374584noreply@blogger.com0